1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to projectile and missile warheads, and more particularly to a dual mode warhead which may be used to defeat a range of infantry targets which previously required different warheads for defeat.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past there has been no single warhead small enough to be man-portable and shoulder-launched which was capable of defeating both soft targets such as sandbag-timber or sandbag-concrete bunkers and hard targets such as masonry or reinforced concrete bunkers. Several different warhead types were needed to defeat such a target spectrum. A man-portable, hard target warhead striking a sandbag-timber or sandbag-concrete bunker would detonate on the surface and simply blow a lot of sand about. On the other hand, a soft target warhead containing a pyrotechnic delay to allow penetration, would fragment or rupture before the delay had timed out upon striking a hard target thereby releasing some explosive and reducing its effectiveness. It would therefore be highly desirable to provide a single warhead, operable in two modes, and effective against both soft and hard targets.